Should Tom Allen Replace Noel Fielding On ‘The Great British Baking Show’?
The Great British Baking Present: Holidays on Netflix is understood for welcoming again acquainted faces to the tent, however this yr it gifted a brand new character to the franchise. (No less than for Individuals.) Tom Allen subbed in for Noel Fielding for one episode whereas the latter was on paternity depart in August 2020*. For these of us who’ve grown pissed off over Noel Fielding and co-host Matt Lucas‘s apparent boredom with The Great British Baking Present, Tom Allen might need appeared like a breath of recent air. The comedian loved diving into the bakers’ creations, saved most of his barbs for Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, and appeared to take the gig significantly! He was additionally greater than just a little bit snarky. So do followers suppose Tom Allen ought to host The Great British Baking Present year-round? Or do we predict he must be stored as distant from the tent as doable?
*Sure, the brand new 2021 installments of The Great British Baking Present: Holidays initially premiered on Channel 4 within the UK final Christmas. We get them a yr late.
The Great British Baking Present: Holidays are an annual custom that places a enjoyable, festive spin on the same old Great British Baking Present format. There are all the time two installments. A “Christmas” one highlighting conventional vacation bakes and a “Festive” one honoring New Yr’s Day. Fan favorites from years previous and former winners return to the bake for a single battle for Star Baker. (And sometimes TV stars just like the solid of Derry Ladies takes the bakers’ locations.) There’s often no drama within the tent throughout this time. It’s all boozy bakes and inside jokes.
That mentioned, people might need been stunned dialing up this yr’s installment of The Great British Baking Present: Holidays on Netflix as Noel was on paternity depart for the Christmas episode. In his place was Tom Allen, a sharply dressed bald comedian with a mischievous smirk and posh accent. British followers of The Great British Baking Present would instantly have acknowledged Allen from his work on two Bake Off spin-offs: Bake Off: The Professionals and the “after present” referred to as “An Further Slice.” Individuals, on the opposite hand, might need met Tom with skepticism. Personally? I form of actually dug Tom’s vibe.
Proper now my greatest criticism with present Great British Baking Present hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas is that neither appear to take pleasure in their jobs all that a lot. Noel, particularly, has taken to mocking his personal profession path to the internet hosting gig. Collectively, Noel and Matt scamper by means of the tent with the identical form of vitality you’d get from kindergarteners determined for consideration. It emerges in silly, complicated time calls, weird “jokes,” and insults directed proper to the bakers’ faces.
What I discovered refreshing about Tom Allen is he was capable of keep his snarky persona whereas additionally being completely plugged into the mechanics of the present. Tom eagerly tucked into the bakes and gave the bakers optimistic feedback (and the judges’ facet eye for their very own infamously crucial judgments). When Tom did do foolish callouts, he stored the time name itself clear and cogent and leaned extra on self-deprecating visible gags. Which means that as a substitute of listening to garbled gibberish, the bakers would have simply heard the precise time! Tom Allen got here throughout like a puckish Tim Gunn, there to carry class to the proceedings, encouragement to the rivals, and mischief to the judges. Not the bakers.
That mentioned, I might see how Tom Allen might need additionally rubbed some American viewers off with deadpan jokes about how nice he’s (which I took for sarcasm) or his snarky methods. I used to be charmed, although. Once more, my challenge with Matt and Noel boils down as to if or not they perceive the balancing act of being a bunch on a present like The Great British Baking Present. The gig is about clearly establishing the foundations, infusing moments of levity, and advocating for the bakers most of all. The contestants are the celebs, not the presenters. Tom Allen appeared to naturally get this. He understood the project, as the children say.
Tom Allen might not be the legendary dream host so many people need to swoop in and save The Great British Baking Present, however his visitor stint proved that different British comics a) exist and b) have the chops to host the The Great British Baking Present. Tom Allen additionally confirmed that there’s fertile comedian floor in mocking Paul and Prue (and tasting the dishes alongside the persnickety judges). Love him or hate him, however his look proved there’s something lacking from the present lineup.
